Herb Dean incurs UFC Baku fighter’s criticism for not ‘ensuring justice’ in loss

Michel Pereira is not happy with the way referee Herb Dean handled things at UFC Fight Night 280.

Pereira was handed 29-28 scorecards, along with several fouls, in a unanimous decision loss to Shara Magomedov in the co-main event of the UFC’s second trip to Baku, Azerbaijan this past Saturday. “Demoledor” scored a knockdown to beat Magomedov in the first round but was then outstruck by the Dagestani in the second and third rounds. The scoring wasn’t much of a debate online. It was the officiating of Dean, which has been a hot topic in recent weeks.

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Pereira was hit with several ilegal moves by Magomedov: a kick to the groin, a clear eye poke, and continuous pulls of his hair bun while being in a compromised position. All these fouls received warnings, but actual point deductions didn’t occur in a what could’ve ended as a draw

“In MMA, there are rules,” Pereira wrote in a stetement on Instagram. “They must be applied with the same level of rigor to everyone. Respecting the rules means protecting the integrity of the sport and ensuring justice inside the octagon. My opponent was warned several times and was not punished. When a rule is ignored, the result is compromised. Where’s the criterion, (Herb Dean)?”